With the 2010-2011 television series coming upon us, I was lucky enough to talk to James Lesure (Las Vegas) who can be seen in the upcoming ABC comedy, Mr. Sunshine which also stars Matthew Perry (Friends), Allison Janney (9 to 5 the Musical), Andrea Anders (Better Off Ted), and Nate Torrence (She’s Out of My League). In his return to comedy, James plays Alonzo, a former basketball star, ladies man, and best friend to Perry. In this interview below, this two time MVP of the Entertainment Basketball League gives us a brief sneak peek into what to expect on Mr. Sunshine and more! Check it out:

How did you get involved with Mr. Sunshine?
It was an audition that came my way and as soon as I found out that Matthew Perry and Thomas Schlamme, who I have worked with before, were involved, I became very interested in participating.

Was your character originally a basketball player or did this come into play after you were attached to the project?
That actually came into play before I became involved in the project.

So what are your favorite characteristics about your character, Alonzo so far?
I like that his intentions are good in life. He wants to eject positive energy into the world and I love that energy!

When do you start filming again and what has been your favorite part of filming so far?
We only shot the Pilot and we start filming again mid-September. My favorite part of shooting the Pilot was actually working with an elephant. She was very gentle and regal. How many times can I say that? It was the only time that I got to work with an elephant. It was special.

Which basketball star would you like to see guest star on Mr. Sunshine?
I would want to see Lisa Leslie or Ray Allen guest star.

Also, as a big Las Vegas fan, I want to know which former co-star of the show would you like to see guest star on Mr. Sunshine?
(laughs) Well I enjoyed working with everybody on the show. Hmmm. Josh Duhamel likes to play basketball as well, so we could definitely play hoops on the show.

Lastly, can you tell me about your new line of t-shirts, What’s Your Blend?
Yeah! It’s in it’s early stages. We take people’s 2 primary ethnic backgrounds and blend their flags together to make on a t-shirt. So we all get to know what each other’s blend or cultural original is through these t-shirts. I’m really excited about the idea. I had talked to my business partner about the idea a few years ago, just last year we began making the t-shirts, and now we have a website. I’m optimistic about getting the t-shirts out into the world and learning about the business side of things. I am very open to learning and making positive things happen.

Matthew Perry stars as Ben Donovan, the self-involved manager of a second-rate San Diego sports arena who begins to re-evaluate his life on his 40th birthday. Working alongside him is his boss and arena owner, Crystal—attractive, powerful and highly erratic; Alice—the cute, tomboyish marketing director and Ben’s friend with benefits; Alonzo—a former basketball player, handsome and unbelievably happy; Ben’s assistant, Heather—pretty, sweet, but terrifying because she once lit a boyfriend on fire; Crystal’s son, Roman—sweet-faced, clueless and Ben’s newest employee; and a hapless operations crew whom Ben refers to collectively as the “Steves.”

Mr. Sunshine premieres on ABC mid season.