In the Netflix Western drama “Ransom Canyon” debuting April 17, Andrew Liner plays what he describes as “a firecracker. I think he is cocky. I think he is insecure. I think he has a pure heart. I think he’s good. That being said, I think he does things that are perceived as bad, and I think he does make a fool of himself sometimes.”
Featuring Meta Golding (“Empire”, “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2”), Minka Kelly (“Titans”, “The Butler”), and Josh Duhamel (“Las Vegas”, “Shotgun Wedding”) is what has been termed a “romance-fueled family drama and contemporary western saga” which takes place in Texas.
Liner plays Reed Collins, the son of Eoin Macken (“The Night Shift”, “Merlin”) and Golding’s characters. Of the show, which was shot in New Mexico, he explains, “We have love triangles, we have bull riding, horse riding, and a whole bunch of real Texas stuff. But I think the show really plays into grief, love and desire. It’s one of these small towns and everyone knows each other, everyone knows everyone’s business, so everything’s constantly getting aired out, which is fun.”
Liner anticipates that the audience will have complicated feelings regarding his character and his character’s mother’s situation. “My mom, who Meta Golding plays, and she’s amazing — it’s definitely apparent I’m mixed — and we’re in the thick of it. I think, in a way, there is a lot of sympathy that [viewers] could have for the two of us. [Reed] lies and cheats, and I think those things are perceived as bad. But when you know why he’s doing these things you sympathize. So I don’t disagree with whatever Meta’s character is doing. I sympathize.”
Fans of the comedy “grown-ish” which aired on Disney-owned Freeform TV, might recognize Liner, who played the character Rodney in a number of episodes. Of that experience, which came about at the beginning of his career, he stated, “I went into the experience very shy, kind of scared. I was terrified driving to the Disney lot, and they opened up their arms to me. They took me in, and we had a blast.” Other shows include Vampire Academy on Peacock, the HBO sci-fi drama “Gray Matter,” and the Hulu legal drama “Accused.”
It was love that led the California born and raised Liner to become a thespian. He recalls, “I chased a girl I had a crush on into a class where we had to do the musical Once Upon A Mattress and we ended up in a loving two-year relationship.”
Though Andrew initially pursued acting in middle school as a means to a romantic end, his competitive spirit pushed him to continue improving. By the time he became a sophomore in high school, he had developed a sincere love for the craft. “I realized that it wasn’t just standing and saying words. I was trying to have a dialogue. I realized I like doing this- finding the reality, the truth, and the person behind everything.”
Though he quickly landed his first role, on “grown-ish” just before college, there were no more roles for the next three years. He didn’t give up. “You start comparing yourself to other people. You’re like, Timothée Chalamet already nominated for an Oscar. What am I doing?” Liner said he eventually realized everyone has their own path. “But I had to practice patience. I had to learn it wasn’t the end of the world if I didn’t get a project. It doesn’t mean that my work was bad. I had to start enjoying the process a bit more. It was a struggle to get to that point in that three-year period, but once I got to that point, literally, like a month later, everything opened up.”
Born in Los Angeles, California, Liner says he grew up in various areas on the west side of the city. He was also what can safely be described, a jock. Being raised around LA, Liner believes, is what afforded him the opportunity to be one. “I got to play a bunch of different sports. My parents were very focused on us having all the opportunities we could have. I played everything under the sun pretty much, and all year around. I was never inside playing video games. That just wasn’t my childhood.”
His experience as an athlete continues to make a mark today. “I think actors approach things differently than athletes. So I think sometimes I feel like an outsider with actors, but I don’t necessarily feel like an outsider with other athletes. I kind of feel at home there. All top tier athletes had to be playing their sport, 24/7 so I can sympathize with that.”
While a student at Chapman University in Orange, California, Liner also turned his sights to writing, and producing. “I never wanted to be just an actor, just a pawn in someone else’s game. I have stories to tell. I’m adopted and I’m mixed and I’m Jewish, and there’s a lot of things about me that I think many people sympathize with. But if the industry is not going to give me anything, am I just going to sit here waiting? No, I’ll go do it myself.”
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