Local High School Student Stars In TV Series 'The Goldbergs'

By Pam DeFiglio

If starting high school means tackling new adventures, one freshman at Maine South High School in Park Ridge is doing just that--even though he hasn't set foot in a classroom yet. 

Sean Giambrone is studying remotely from Los Angeles, where he's filming an ABC-TV comedy series, "The Goldbergs."

He plays the role of a real person--the writer of the show, Adam S. Goldberg, who, when he was growing up in the 1980s, was constantly pulling out his video camera to film his family. The 200-some real-life clips of his parents' and siblings' unvarnished moments form the basis for many story lines in "The Goldbergs."

Sean is thrilled to be playing the young cineaste. 

"It's a blast," he said in a phone interview from Los Angeles. "Every time you walk onto the set, it's a different adventure. I also like all the people I get to meet."

As he plays Adam Goldberg, Sean says he has some similarities with the character, but some differences, too. 

"I find it really cool because he takes a step back from his life to observe his life," Sean said. "He's filming everything he can."

Of the real Adam Goldberg's real-life clips, Sean says, "some of them he could blackmail his family with — but others show the lovingness of his family."

Family rearranged lives during Sean's filming

Sean's own family — parents Voni and Dave Giambrone and older brother Luke, a high school sophomore — have done their own part of being a loving family by moving their entire lives to Los Angeles while Sean is filming.

"It's a whirlwind," said Voni Giambrone. "My husband and I both work in advertising, so we work remotely. Where there's a will, there's a way."

They plan to return to their home in Park Ridge in January and have both boys attend school at Maine South for the spring semester. For now, Luke attends Palos Verdes High School and Sean's tutor works on Maine South assignments with him. And yes, he has a Chromebook. 

Sean got the performing bug back in Park Ridge, where he attended Lincoln Middle School.

"At one point he appeared to like performing, so we said 'do you want to try commercials?'" Voni recalled.

Starting in commercials, moving to television

Sean was game, and he made a commercial for Friendly's, one for Sea World and one for McDonald's. A Los Angeles talent manager saw the Sea World commercial and offered to represent Sean and get him an agent; at around the same time, Sean auditioned for a voice role in the animated series Clarence, and got the part.

When Voni and Sean went to Los Angeles in March for Sean's Clarence role, "it happened to be pilot season," Voni said, explaining it's the time of year many young actors audition for pilots, and that Sean's agent suggested he audition for "The Goldbergs" pilot.

"On Wednesday he auditioned, on Thursday he got the part, and on Friday we signed a contract," Voni recounted. 

They didn't learn until June that a network would pick up the pilot and make it into a series. But they packed up in July and arrived in Los Angeles in time for Sean to start filming Aug. 12.

"One thing that was reassuring to me was that we didn't sell the house," Sean said. "I love that area, it's our area — Niles, Park Ridge, Rosemont. I miss home, and friends and the fun places to go. But it's really amazing to be out here, too."

He's open to what the future will bring, but doesn't have definite plans.

"For now, acting's my thing, but if something else comes up, I'll seize it in the moment," he said.