Looking for love is never easy, but it’s even harder when you’re doing it on national television. That’s what Walker Posey is doing on FOX‘s new series Labor of Love, as one of the bachelors hoping to make a connection with Kristy Katzmann. On this show, it’s not just about TV romance; it’s about finding the right person to start a family and build a future with.
Before tonight’s new episode, Walker joined me to discuss what motivated him to put himself in the small-screen spotlight and how the men in the cast actually got along as they were filming. Get to know more about him in our interview and then see how his journey continues tonight at 9:00 p.m. on FOX.
If you missed last week’s Labor of Love premiere, you can watch it now on Hulu or FOX on Demand.
Brittany Frederick: What made you say that Labor of Love was right for you and your relationship goals?
Walker Posey: I wasn’t even expecting it. They found me; I didn’t find them. And when they found me, I was really taken aback and kind of caught off guard. My initial reaction was no, I’m not going to do that, it’s not for me. And then once the premise of the show was explained to me, I really connected with where the show wanted to go in terms of addressing social issues, and having a show that opportunity to meet a great girl who was age-appropriate for me being 41.
I connected personally to what I think the goal of the show is, and that’s what drove me to step outside my comfort zone.
BF: Can you prepare for putting yourself out there like this? Labor of Love isn’t like a typical reality show where you can train or rehearse for it.
WP: I think the key to being prepared for a show like this is to be prepared to be yourself, to be prepared to show your vulnerabilities, especially with love and relationships. If you’re going to go with an agenda or something to prove or something that’s not really … sincere motive, then I think you’ll be exposed pretty fast.
So for me, preparation was just having a conversation with myself. Am I ready to open up my life and have these serious conversations in front of people? And am I ready for those types of things? Can I be vulnerable enough to make it work? I determined that I could, so that’s why I chose to do it.
BF: In the first episode, you said something very honest in admitting that you’re the reason why you’re currently single. How did you come to that realization? Because it was different to hear.
WP: I do spend a lot of time at work. I have a couple of different things I do. I am a funeral director; I’m really involved in that profession, but I have a couple other things I do as well that take my time. So looking back, reflecting on my life before I did the show, I just came to terms with, you know what? I’ve actually dated some great girls in the past. It’s been a while, but I’ve had some pretty good ones I let go for a variety of reasons. And why is that? What does that mean?
I just determined that my work life balance is probably out of whack a bit and that was probably a big factor. When I thought back on conversations that I’ve had with previous girls I’ve dated and why it hasn’t worked out, I could see how I would make them feel less important unintentionally by how I spend my time.
As a funeral director, you’re on call 24/7. So when I’m here, I’m on. Literally you never know when you’re going to have to work. It’s very much a schedule like you’re an on call doctor per se. And so that can be a little awkward for people who are used to having Saturdays and Sundays off and you get done at 5:00. That’s just not my life. Then I do a lot of consulting overseas. I was in Riyadh, Dubai, Middle East, Asia all the time. When you’re in a plane for 14 hours, and then you’re in a location for two days and you’re [flying] back 14 hours, you realize pretty quick you just run out of time.
It’s really easy to blame a lack of time on work. if you want it bad enough, you’ll make time for it. And for me, I really didn’t understand that. And I don’t know why that is. I don’t know why it took me 40 years to figure that out…The last couple of years, I’ve really tried to work hard on being more self-aware and just owning up to who I am and being responsible for that. I think that awareness really was helpful to me in preparing for the show.
BF: One of the other interesting things about Labor of Love is its relative lack of drama compared to other TV dating shows. It seemed like you genuinely got along with the other men in the house. Was that actually the case?
WP: We did, and that’s actually very real. In the house I would say that the vibe was really positive. I think it speaks to how good the premise of the show actually is because the quality of guys who agreed to come on it was really high.
Our conversations in the house were at a higher level. I felt like I learned a lot from the guys who were there. There’s a pretty wide diversity in terms of educational background and lifestyle and career, but everyone seemed to be pretty common [in] their sincerity for wanting to find the right woman and to have a family.
It was very cool to be a part of a group that was positive and everyone really wanted the best. I think we all would agree we want to be happy, we want Kristy to be happy, and so whoever she ends up with we would support. just because I think we’re mature enough to know that if it’s not right for both people, it’s not right.
BF: Now that the first episode has aired, what’s the reaction you’ve been getting? Did anyone around you know that you were doing the show?
WP: Most of us didn’t know until we pushed it out on social. I’ve been very fortunate. I’ve had really positive feedback, super-reinforcing comments about how folks are excited that I’m doing it. In my community I know a lot of people, and so I’ve had overwhelmingly positive support – for the actual show and the premise itself and then for me being on it.
When you do a reality show, you never really know how you’re going to come across. And back to me being who I am, I was hoping to get a good edit, because if you’re pretty true to who you are in real life, hopefully it’ll shake out well.
BF: Is there anything you want Labor of Love viewers to know about you as they watch the rest of the season?
WP: I just hope folks realize when they watch the show that I’m a sincere guy who has a good motive and really was there for the right reason. I also hope I break that funeral director stereotype and I hope it’s refreshing for folks to realize that that’s the case. And I hope they can see that my connection with Kristy, is real and my desire to find the right person is real. Just all those good things.
Labor of Love airs Thursdays at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on FOX.
Article content is (c)2020-2023 Brittany Frederick and may not be excerpted or reproduced without express written permission by the author. Follow me on Twitter at @BFTVTwtr and on Instagram at @BFTVGram.
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