Josh Segarra Reveals the Best Actor on the ‘Best Medicine’ Set (Exclusive)

Best Medicine has a stacked cast of talented stars, but Wattson is in a class of his own.

Ahead of the Sunday, Jan. 4 premiere of Fox’s Doc Martin adaptation, Josh Segarra is spilling details about his scene-stealing four-legged costar Wattson, who plays the show’s mischievous pup Copernicus. While the Abbott Elementary alum, 39, has heard the old adage about not working with kids and children, he tells PEOPLE it’s not one he subscribes to.

“Best actor on our set right there, playing Copernicus,” Segarra says of Wattson. “I love that pup. We’ve had a lot of fun. We’ve got our piggy, Sprinkle, and we’ve got our doggie, Copernicus … And anytime I’m working with any of the animals, I send photos out to my boys, and they get a big kick out of it.”

The dad of three also shared that working with animals is always a fun time for him.

“Those are days that you realize how surreal it is, what we get to do,” he continues. “This is my job. Hanging out in this police station with my guy, Wattson, and we’re calling action. He’s sprinting out, and I’m getting to run out [after him]. And it’s this big, high-intensity scene, and they call cut. And you’re like, ‘Man, it’s wild what we get to do.’ So it’s always a fun day when you’re getting to work with an animal, always.”

In addition to Wattson, Best Medicine has an undeniably stacked cast. The series stars Josh Charles as Dr. Martin Best, a big city surgeon who moves to the small town where he spent summers with his Aunt Sarah (played by Annie Potts) after he experiences a traumatic event in Boston.

The cast is rounded out by Abigail Spencer as teacher Louisa Gavin, Cree as Dr. Best’s receptionist Elaine Denton, Segarra as Sheriff Mark Mylow, Didi Conn as councilwoman Geneva Potter, Clea Lewis as pharmacist Sally Mylow, Stephen Spinella and Jason Veasey as the married owners of The Salty Breeze, Greg Garrison and George Brady, Cindy De La Cruz as the schoolteacher Jeannie, John DiMaggio as handyman Bert Large and Carter Shimp as Bert’s son Al Large.

For Segarra, working on the Fox comedy with actors like Charles, 54, and Potts, 73, is a dream come true. He tells PEOPLE he was a fan of both of his costars before joining the show, which makes sharing scenes with them all the more special.

He shares that joining the cast was a no-brainer in part because “I’d get to work with Josh Charles, who I’ve just been such a fan of for such a long time. I was a big Sports Night guy.”

“I’ve got so much respect for him. Now that’s my bud. We’ve really had a good time building these characters,” he says.

Segarra adds that they often make each other laugh on set. “He cracks me up, and I crack him up. And that’s our goal. We’re always trying to make each other laugh,” he says.

“This one has been honestly so easy to do with Josh, because I love that man. And that’s the captain of my ship right there, and I’ll follow him into battle any day,” he continues. “And so then, when you got Sheriff Mark, who loves Dr. Best, Sheriff Mark would follow Dr. Best into battle any day. So that’s a very easy, easy thing to play.”

The Animal Control actor is equally enamored with Potts, who he says is “so cool and so warm” that he always feels at ease with her as a scene partner.

“She’s a legend,” Segarra says. “So she was just so warm and would tell me funny stories, and she’s just one of those people that leads by example. She’s just such a joy to be around on set. I’m very honored to call her my bud.”

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The two have also bonded over being parents to boys. Segarra has three sons — Gus, 9, Hank, 5, and Bo, 2 — and Potts has three as well: Clay, 44, James, 33, and Isaac, 30.

“Annie and I love to swap stories,” Segarra shares. “And we’ve also cried together a couple of times, good tears. There’s an episode where you’re going to see us being nostalgic for when kids were young, and we both had a moment of thinking about our babies young … my boys have come to set with me a few times, and I’ll look over at Annie, and she’s just looking over at me and my wife and the boys. And awe man, I just love her to pieces.”

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Best Medicine premieres Sunday, Jan. 4, after football, before moving to its regular time on Tuesday, Jan. 6, at 8:00 p.m. EST on Fox. Episodes will be available to stream the next day on Disney+ and Hulu.