Remember that kid in high school that always had his hand raised in Chemistry class? Well, 17-year old Michael Welch isn't him -- he just plays him on TV. "I was never particularly great at science, especially not the kind that Luke is into," Welch admitted in an interview from the set of Joan of Arcadia, in which he stars as the scholarly teenage brother of Joan Girardi in the CBS hit drama series about a girl who communicates with God. He had us convinced, but that's no surprise -- one look at his resume, with roles in such accomplished shows as CSI, Stargate SG-1, and Frasier to name a few, you can't help but notice how it rivals even veteran actors three times his age. And this is before he's gone to the prom.

      Don't let his youthfulness give you the wrong idea -- both in the show and in his real life, Welch shows a maturity beyond his less than two decades on this planet. His active involvement as a spokesperson for the children's organization Kids with a Cause proves not only his talent, but his heart, is in the right place. "There's so many areas that I want to help in, and I feel like I'm in a unique position to do so," Welch explains. "I want to make a difference. I've been so lucky in my life, on this great show with great people, and I have everything I need in my life. I wouldn't feel right if I didn't give back."

     There's some truth to the cliche that it's better to give than receive. Fortunately for Michael, he's also been receiving -- that is, a lot of well-deserved credit for his past and present roles on both the big and small screens. The best part? He's still the average guy next to you in Chemistry class. Only, not the one who knows all the answers -- and that's fine by him. "That was kind of the theme of one of the episodes," he stated. "It's not about the answers, it's about the questions." Michael spoke candidly with gt magazine in this exclusive interview, where we discovered his rockstar fantasies, how real the high school in Arcadia really is, and why he's Mr. Independent...

gt.com: happy new year! have you made any resolutions?

MICHAEL: Thank you! I could, but I'm not going to follow through with it. I make resolutions every year, and then I never do them! I stopped that, because I like to finish what I start. So if I'm not going to finish them, then it's like, what is the point?

gt.com: true! what was your initial reaction when you read the script for Joan of Arcadia? did you feel the part of Luke was suitable for where you wanted to take your career?

MICHAEL: It's interesting, because I wasn't really interested in doing a series at that point. It was about two years ago. But I read the description breakdown of Luke, and it described him as a loser, loner, science geek kid with no friends. And, I was like "Ehh...I don't want to do that." I don't like playing nerds or stereotypes of any kind. What I did is I read the script, and I loved it! It was so well-written! And, I saw that Joe Mantegna and Mary Steenburgen were going to be attached to the project. I just wanted to give it a chance, and it was amazing.

gt.com: so did your perception of Luke change as you progressed throughout the series?

MICHAEL: I loved the character Luke, I didn't see him that way at all. I thought the breakdown was a very poor description. The second I read the script, I loved the part, the project, and I really wanted to do it. The only thing is that it just depended on the creative direction they wanted to take the show -- did they want to take Luke to a younger, science geek kid? Then, I probably wouldn't have gotten it. The thing that is interesting is at the audition, every other kid that was auditioning for Luke had on glasses with tape around it and a pocket protector. I just went in with jeans and a t-shirt, and was like, "Alright, this is what I've got for you!", and they loved it!

gt.com: we can imagine! well, Friday nights seem to be a hard slot to gain television viewership, but Joan of Arcadia has done remarkably well. what do you think is the secret behind the show's success?

MICHAEL: I think, in a weird way, it's almost good that it's on Friday night, because out of the people that are watching on a Friday night, we are getting a good percentage of them. We're not necessarily top twenty in the ratings, but we are pretty consistently in the top fifty, which is pretty good for a Friday night. I think the secret behind the show's success, which I'm not sure if it's really a secret, is that it's a really good show. The interesting characters and great relationships between them makes a great dynamic. I think it's different and original; people really responded to it. The only thing I was worried about was whether people would give it a chance, because of the type of show that it is.

gt.com: speaking of the type of show that it is...your role on Joan of Arcadia tackles some heavy issues, including issues dealing with religion. did you find that your attitudes or beliefs towards anything has changed since you've been a part of this show?

MICHAEL: Not really changed, but the show has brought up some interesting questions. I have this friend and the two of us have these really long, philosophical conversations once in a while with episodes of the show. We've actually just gone off and talked about an episode from a philosophical standpoint. None of my views have really changed, but I think it's amazing how things work out. Every single member of the cast has taken something from the show for their own life. I think that just goes to show you what kind of show it is. There's not many shows that do that.

gt.com: good point! you seem really proud of the cast. how do the actors in the fictional stories relate as real people when the scene is finished?

MICHAEL: We all get along very well -- it's basically become like a second family. It was like that from the start. We see each other so much on the set -- sometimes more than we see our own families, because we work so much! But, we do get along really well, and thank God, because if we didn't, that would be really difficult spending fourteen hours a day with someone you don't like. I feel like if every single one of us, especially in the family, were not on board for the ride, it wouldn't be as interesting. I've made some long-term friends from the show. I've actually known some people from the set for a long time. Chris Marquette, who plays Adam, I've known for about six years. Aaron Himelstein, who plays Friedman, I've known him for quite a while, too. But, we were just acquaintances until I started on the show. Then, I started working with them, and now we hang out together after work, too.

gt.com: it's almost like real high school.

MICHAEL: Exactly! Actually, Chris made a joke once that he thinks that the high school scenes in the show are going to replace his actual high school memories. He won't think back to high school, he'll think back to Joan of Arcadia!

gt.com: hilarious! okay, do you watch yourself on television, or have you found it to be too weird?

MICHAEL: Oh, I have to! I can't not. Some weeks I'm working twelve hours a day for a whole week, so I want to see what came out of that. All that work, let's see what it looks like! I know a lot of actors don't watch themselves on TV, but I think it's good to see how else you can improve. I am very critical of myself, and sometimes it's a little hard to watch myself, but I'm pretty happy with my performances so far this year. And I'm pretty happy with the show in general. I have to watch myself though, otherwise I'd just stay in the same spot and never get better.

gt.com: playing a science aficionado as Luke is portrayed, you have some really technical lines at times. were you always good in science so that it comes easy, or do those scenes take some practicing?

MICHAEL: Oh no! Honestly, it's just my job, and I have to do it. The thing is, what people don't see is all of the times I mess up. In the final cut of the show, they just use a particular take that I didn't mess up. So, out of the one time that I say it right, what the audience doesn't see are the hundred times that I say it wrong. What's really funny is that, for some reason, the really long, complicated science lines I don't have as much of a problem with those as I do with like simple lines. And I don't know why! I think maybe it's because I've said so much scientific stuff in the beginning of the series, that I just got used to it, and it took me some time to get adjusted to saying just normal things.

gt.com: how funny! you have worked on some amazing shows and with legendary actors. what is the best advice you have ever received from those you have worked with?

MICHAEL: What's interesting is that when I was younger, I didn't really know how amazing the people were that I was working with. I just wish I could go back and tell them how awesome I think they are now. I think the best overall advice I've gotten from everyone I've ever worked with was from an acting teacher. It was "Just have fun." I remember when I was taking an acting class and having problems with this one scene, and the teacher said "Ah, screw it. Just have fun!" And I did, and it went great! I've taken that with me everywhere. That's the whole point -- if you're not enjoying what you're doing and you're not having fun, why do it? What's the point of being brilliant and not enjoying yourself? 

gt.com: absolutely, we couldn't agree more! so, looking back at your acting career, at what point did you first say to yourself, "Wow, I really love what I do?"

MICHAEL: Right from the start! I started taking a little, local acting class when I was nine. I used to live in this town, Santa Clarita, which is about an hour north of Los Angeles, and I took an acting class there. I went there for about a year, and when I turned ten, that's when the acting bug hit. I wanted to try it -- right from the start, I've always loved being on stage. I've always enjoyed being in the spotlight. I don't know if that'll lead to some problems down the road, but it's great for acting!

gt.com: okay, you were a part of numerous television shows before landing in Arcadia. what was your favorite role, pre-Joan?

MICHAEL: I played a Buddhist monk on Chicago Hope. I was eleven at the time. They shaved my head, and I got to be a Buddhist! It was interesting! There was also CSI, which was some of the hardest acting I've ever done. It was like a three minute autopsy scene, and there's this master shot that had every actor in it. I'm dead, so I can't move or breathe for three minutes. It was so hard to do that!

gt.com: we can imagine! we hear you play the drums -- have you ever thought about foregoing this whole acting thing and becoming a rockstar?

MICHAEL: That'd be fun! I love the drums, I love music. It's really more of a hobby, though. I really don't have the time or passion to get amazing at the drums. I can definitely play, I can definitely hold a beat, but it's really all about the acting. You never know! I'd love to start one of those Russell Crowe-style bands!

gt.com: awesome! well, what are some of your favorite musical artists currently?

MICHAEL: This year, I'm really getting into Muse. A lot of really great music came out this past year -- I love The Hives, Velvet Revolver, The Darkness, A Perfect Circle, and Mos Def. I've actually been getting into some drum and bass stuff, too. This guy named Squarepusher is really cool and also Aphex Twin. If you can't tell, I have a really wide range in my music tastes. Believe it or not, I actually really liked Eminem's new album, too. I don't care what anybody thinks, I like Eminem. I think he's taken hip hop back to its roots of rapping about real stuff that affects him personally as opposed to rapping about bling. Because, that's not what hip hop was about -- but that's a whole new conversation!

gt.com: haha. back to the acting -- what do you find to be the perks?

MICHAEL: I think the most fun part is that I get to do things that I would never be able to do in real life. Let's use Luke as an example -- I would never be like this kid! I would never get to do the things this kid does, and I am doing them every week You get to basically explore and be other people. The process of doing the homework and research on it, that is almost as fun as doing the acting itself.

gt.com: how about the downside of acting?

MICHAEL: Auditioning and not getting the job 99.9% of the time. If you want to become an actor, you have to learn how to deal with rejection. If you can't, there's just no point in doing it -- you'll drive yourself crazy. That's really all it is, an audition after audition after audition. Hopefully, you get to a point where you get callbacks. You have to be persistent, work hard, and keep truckin' until you get it. And, you have to enjoy the process, too!

gt.com: great advice! so, what is the one thing you hope to accomplish in the next ten years?

MICHAEL: I just want to keep working, and I want to do good roles. I've been working pretty consistently since I was ten, so I hope that continues. In terms of what I'm going to be working on, I really don't know. I may be in another series...maybe a cop show! Maybe I'll be one of those cool independent actors that does like four or five indie movies a year, but no one really knows their name. We'll see! There's a million different directions it could go to. This year, I'm starting to figure out the areas that I want to become active in. I'm almost eighteen, and I've been really focused on it.

gt.com: wow, that is so admirable! we're sure your career will be everything you hope for. thanks for the interview, Michael!

Arcadia is a nice place to visit -- but so is
Michael's official site: www.michaelwelchonline.com!