Doogie Kameāloha, M.D., premiering on Disney+ September 8, is partly a medical drama yet full of family-friendly fun. In the spirit of its predecessor, the iconic Doogie Howser, Peyton Elizabeth Lee (Andi Mack) stars as wunderkind doctor Lahela “Doogie” Kameāloha. The biggest difference, aside from being a teenage girl in the 21st century, is that Lahela lives in Hawaii and her family has a mixed background.

Her father Benny (Jason Scott Lee, Mulan) is a Hawaiian native, beloved by the whole town and full of positive energy towards his kids. Her mother Claire (Kathleen Rose Perkins, I Am Not Okay With This) is Irish Catholic and doubles as Lahela’s boss at the hospital, which sometimes causes friction. But Lahela’s siblings Kai (Matthew Sato) and Bryan Patrick (Wes Tian) bring their own unique flavor to the table, and her best friend Steph (Emma Meisel) is always around to help her feel like a teenager.

SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY

Meisel, Sato, and Tian spoke to Screen Rant about how they view their characters and upcoming story arcs, as well as how they fit into their family or friendship dynamic with Lahela.

Screen Rant: Matthew, Kai seems super laid back and chill with everything, and he’s apparently popular with girls – including Steph. Will we get to see any love lines flourish for you throughout the season, or get to see how you maneuver these relationship dynamics?

Matthew Sato: Yes, totally. You’ll see what I mean, but in the beginning, he has a hard time realizing that Steph wants to be in a relationship with him. And he doesn’t know how to communicate with her very well when it comes to his feelings for her and her feelings for him. So, he definitely doesn’t speak teenage girl.

But as the season progresses, you’ll see him become a little more in touch with his emotions.

Wes, I adore Bryan Patrick. He seems like the opposite of Kai, very uptight and counting the hairs on his chest to keep track of this blossoming puberty. Can you discuss why he feels so protective or proud of it?

Wes Tian: Well, I believe that Brian Patrick is the type of guy who just wants to impress people. He tries to impress his family, his friends, and anyone he meets.

Matthew Sato: It makes sense when your sister’s a child prodigy.

Steph’s friendship with Lahela really interests me. How do you maintain this dynamic when one of you is working hospital hours, and the other one is in high school?

Emma Meisel: Yeah. I think because they live in such different worlds, they’re really able to balance each other out – be the yin to her yang kind of thing. Steph really grounds Lahela, and Lahela really grounds Steph.

Because, as you saw, Steph can be a little out there – And sometimes she needs to be brought back down to earth. And with Lahela, she sometimes needs to just get out of her head, and Steph is the perfect friend to be like, “Hey, you got this. Everything’s gonna be okay.”

They’re just extremely loyal to each other. And they’ve known each other since childhood, so they know how the other works and operates and thinks.

I am too young for Doogie Howser, so I don’t know if any of you guys have seen the original. Wes, would you like to tell us what you feel carries over the most from Doogie Howser to Doogie Kamealoha?

Wes Tian: Of course, it has more changes. First of all, there’s the location, which is Hawaii. What’s similar is probably – they’re not the same, but I feel it’s the same structure – some of the characters. Like, Steph is based a little bit off Vinnie. Stuff like that.

Doogie Kameāloha, M.D. premieres September 8 on Disney+.

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About The Author


Tatiana Hullender
(627 Articles Published)

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Tatiana Hullender is a writer at Screen Rant, focusing on film and television, as well as a co-host of several podcasts. In the interviews she conducts for Screen Rant, she seeks to learn what drives each creative mind and how different experiences influence the same narrative. As a graduate of Columbia University in New York City, Tatiana studied theater and comparative literature. She has been passionate about all manner of storytelling since being exposed to Jane Austen and BBC adaptations of her work all at once. But Regency satire of manners isn’t the only genre she loves, as a love of comic books naturally developed into a love of cinematic universes and their superheroes. So long as a story has heart and humor, there’s a chance of finding something to enjoy in the telling of it.
Visit @myrcellasear on Twitter to follow Tatiana’s articles, interviews and podcasts including: The Flash Podcast, Pop A La Carte and Ladies With Gumption. Subscribe to them on the Podcast app, or contact her directly at painted(dot)out(at)gmail.com.

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