Back in the ‘90s, Andrew Keegan grabbed onto your heart back and never let go.
The teenage heartthrob shot to superstardom thanks to roles on Full House, 7th Heaven and Party of Five before he was finally cast in the cult classic, 10 Things I Hate About You. Though he later stepped out of the spotlight to establish a spiritual movement called Full Circle, he's finally making his return to the camera appearing in a pivotal role in the final season of Trinkets, the series co-produced by Netflix and Awesomeness.
The gig—he plays lead Kiana Madeira's father—was a major surprise. Well, to everyone but his 10 Things co-star Larisa Oleynik, who also stars on the show. "It has been kept under wraps," he exclusively shared with E! News. "But I did get to connect with Larisa. We all did a 20-year reunion almost two years ago, so we all got to see each other. We don't exactly have yearly family potlucks, although that would be really cool."
The Trinkets cast came pretty close to that, though. As one of the show's final moments, they shot a Thanksgiving scene together. "This was the first time that they had all gotten together to shoot a scene," explained the 41-year-old. It was intimidating. They're all very good in their roles, so to be stepping in, it was a humbling experience."
Now, Keegan—he shares daughter Aiya Rose with Arista Ilona—is looking back on his own experiences, from his crush on Jessica Alba to his journey to become a spiritual leader.
E! News: You were a part of so many beloved shows and movies in the ‘90s. Which of your co-stars do you still keep in touch with?
Andrew Keegan: I did connect with the creator [of The Broken Hearts Club] in the recent years, Greg Berlanti. He's such a powerhouse with all the shows that he makes. Lacey Chabert, for example, we did a movie over the years and I see her. I feel like we all are connected on social media, but you have to really think about like, "Did I see them in person or do I just feel like I'm in their world?" I moved to Venice about 20 years ago. Not to go and drop names, but I see people at the farmer's market or at the local grocery store. So it's more of that kind in recent years.
E!: Camp Nowhere was one of your first roles—and one of Jessica Alba's. What's your memory from working together?
AK: Jessica was my first crush. She came into the project after we started and we ended up being very close family friends. We celebrated her 13th or 14th birthday at my house. So there was a connection, or just a friendship. I'm so proud of the work she's doing. I've been in touch over the years, so I'm glad we got to meet on that project.
E!: OK be honest, did it ever get past the crush stage?
AK: Oh, wow. I mean, I'm a gentleman, but she was 'the kissing girl' in the movie. That was her role in the movie. So, I think that's probably a fair place to leave that.
E!: Have you showed your daughter the movie?
AK: I just went on a camping trip up in Santa Barbara and I had my 4-and-a-half-year-old daughter with me. So she's now into this movie. She's telling other kids, ‘That's my daddy and he's flushing the guys' head down the toilet.'
E!: People were interested in learning about your shift from Hollywood to a more spiritual path. Tell us how that passion came to be and where you are on that journey today.
AK: I'm an adventurous, open minded and curious person about spirituality. I think a lot of people are. We had so many wonderful spirited gatherings for three years in that space in Venice and now we can't even see our family. I feel it was a moment in time and, I think, we all have different beliefs. I'm just grateful for life, especially under these circumstances. And those practices are very helpful. And I think people are quite stressed and challenged and wondering what is life all about. Sometimes those kinds of practices really do help with that.
E!: Have you turned to that spirituality more during this unprecedented time?
AK: What's become more apparent in this moment of COVID is people are turning to that reflective practice of meditation and sound healing—all the things we were exploring as a small, spiritual, community center. It's been really interesting to see how much growth has been in that industry. I really feel like that was as much what this was about, was really being on that cusp of self-developments, spirituality, there's so many words, and unfortunately, sometimes it can be mischaracterized.
E!: Any chance we'll see you in more acting roles in the future?
AK: That's the plan…getting back to work after this COVID thing. It is going to be an interesting experience. I'm very much looking forward to it.