Joey Lawrence Performing With Chippendales: Could It Affect 'Melissa & Joey' Show?
Former child star Joey Lawrence has a new job as the host of an exotic dance revue by Chippendales' male dancers. It's quite a change from the wholesome image Lawrence maintains while starring on ABC Family's "Melissa & Joey." Is there a conflict between the two jobs?
Lawrence will be hosting, singing and dancing in the show, which is set to premiere in June in Las Vegas, according to the Associated Press. He has admitted that watching Channing Tatum perform in "Magic Mike," a new film about a male dancer, inspired him to sign on to the Chippendales show.
"I found out that guys like Brad Pitt and Javier Bardem have also done stuff like this, and being the fearless guy that I am, I said yes," he told the AP. While it's true that many leading men have performed in exotic entertainment, it could be a bad career choice for Lawrence.
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ABC Family, which is a part of the Disney family, prides itself on having wholesome entertainment for teens and families. Yet Lawrence's performance in the Chippendales revue could hurt the Disney image as well as the ratings of his show "Melissa & Joey," which pairs him with another teen actress, Melissa Joan Hart.
"Melissa & Joey" will air its second season beginning on May 30, after the first season was split into two halves and wrapped in June, 2011. Melissa Joan Hart plays a woman seeking normality in her life after being named the caretaker of her niece and nephew. Lawrence plays the male nanny looking to make a way after a Ponzi scheme leaves him broke.
"A huge part of my life is work," Lawrence wrote on his website. "Whether I'm on the set of 'Melissa & Joey' or putting together my latest album, the projects in my life are a major source of pride and joy for me. I'm so grateful to have such an interesting and fun way to pay the bills."
There has been no word yet from ABC Family about Lawrence's latest career decision, but many of Lawrence's fans are disappointed in the choice to perform with Chippendales.
