‘The Goldbergs’ young cast members get a kick out of ’80s outfits

TORONTO – The young stars of the new 1980s-set family comedy series “The Goldbergs” weren’t born in the decade portrayed in the show, so they looked to the script, the creators and their parents to understand those big-haired, flashy years.

The vibrant outfits helped a lot, too.

“I like the clothing. I think it’s cool,” said Troy Gentile, who plays explosive 16-year-old middle child Barry.

“Like, I wouldn’t want to wear that, you know what I mean? But that’s really cool that we get to wear those clothes. It puts us in that mood and that tone really well.”

Hayley Orrantia, who plays rebellious 17-year-old sister Erica, loved one wardrobe item in particular.

“The high pants,” she said. “The mom pants.”

Premiering Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET on CTV and ABC, “The Goldbergs” stars Sean Giambrone as bespectacled 11-year-old Adam, the youngest of the three kids who acts as the voice of reason in the quirky clan in 1985.

He also has a penchant for making home movies of his family — including sentimental mom Beverly (Wendi McLendon-Covey of “Bridesmaids” fame) and high-strung dad Murray (“Curb Your Enthusiasm” star Jeff Garlin).

Comedy veteran George Segal plays the smooth-operator grandfather, Al (Pops) Solomon.

The show hails from Adam Sandler’s production company, Happy Madison.

The story is based on the life of series writer and co-executive producer Adam F. Goldberg.

“Except we’re a little bit different,” said Gentile, 20, a native of Boca Raton, Fla., whose other credits include the films “Pineapple Express” and “Nacho Libre.”

“My character is actually based on his oldest brother, Eric,” said Orrantia, 19, who hails from Highland Village, Tex., and was a contestant on season 1 “The X Factor” in the U.S.

“I think they decided they wanted a little bit of female in there, besides the mom. So I think it adds a nice balance to everything.”

Michigan-born Giambrone, who’s also a series regular on Cartoon Network’s animated series “Clarence,” said Goldberg showed him the home movies he shot when he was a kid and told him to just “have fun” with the character.

“I saw what he was like as a kid and he had a great laugh. He still has that laugh. I cannot do that laugh. I’ve been trying.”

“I think that what’s really cool about this show and different … is that all of our relationships are all different with each other,” said Gentile.

“So my relationship with Erica is different than her relationship with Adam, and the way we communicate with each other — like my character is very emotional, kind of in-your-face. But in the end, it’s like a good heart-warming type of family.”