It's funny. A friend of mine referred me to Becca the last day of her casting for Gypsy; I quit my job that day and worn this horribly loud shirt, walked in completely cocky and read for a character. She immediately asked me to read for another part, and as soon as I read it, I knew we'd be working together. She was wonderful; the entire time on set of Gypsy she and I had these sort of daily pow-wows, talking about our personal/love lives, as well as various character aspects. I love working with her. She's an actors director, letting you do what you want, stopping you only if you're off. And even that didn't happen very often. Gypsy was the best time I've ever had working on a film, and I'm still very much in touch with most of the cast and crew. When she called me about Chester, I jumped at the chance, and even though we had very little time to talk on set (she was ferociously busy), the times we did get to talk were marked by many jokes and many, many laughs. I love her to pieces, and hope she writes something for a young, 20-ish male so I can audition for the lead. I would jump at the chance to spend more time with her, both on and off set.
In Chester, you played the part of the LAX bartender, opposite Rob Treveiler. How long did it take to shoot this scene?
About a half a day. Rob and I got along almost instantly; we're both pretty big theatre buffs and spoke about that for a while, as well as the normal business stuff. At one point, due to complications from timing, lights, etc, it looked like the shoot might have to be extended. Rob offered to sacrifice a day's pay to extend the shooting hours; although in the end there proved to be no need to do this, I thought this was pretty selfless of him. I haven't seen any of the work we did that day, but could tell there was a pretty good vibe on the set.
As far as your long term career is concerned, do you plan to go into Writing or Directing at some point?
Funny you should ask that. I see other actors and sometimes think that I would like a chance to guide a play through its course; however, I believe that directing is a very, very tough skill, something which I know nothing at all about. As far as writing, I definitely have interest; I keep a daily journal and have written several short stories, as well as a few attempts at playwriting. Sadly to say, I am certainly more efficient and skilled at acting than at these other realms. When I get older - much older - I could see myself experimenting more and more with both, especially the directing.
Tell us about Partial Comfort, the theatre company yourself and Molly Pearson run...
Oh, you're in for it now! Partial Comfort is my baby, my niche, the thing I want to spend my life on. Molly and I met through an ad she took out in a local trade paper for a theatre company. I've already been part of a couple companies, and neither ever really worked out, so this was something I'd always wanted to do. In this business it's typically job to job, group to group, no stability. I've always wanted an artistic home, and this is it. Molly and I clicked instantly, but at one point almost had to kill the whole thing off due to complications with other members; in the end, she and I decided to do it ourselves. Since then it's been off to the races, and we haven't looked back yet. What's funny, though, is that during the production of our first play, other actors we were working with came to us and asked 'How can we be involved with this? It's really something special, and I think we're headed for great things. I wouldn't trade anything to change our little company, and it's become a huge part of my life.
What were the highlights during production of Chester Story?
Honestly, because I was only there for two days, I didn't get a chance to spend as much time on set as I'd have liked. Some of the things I remember were my first look at Teri Hatcher; she's not very big in stature, and had this big set of curlers in her hair. I also remember going to set and having someone ask me how I like my coffee. I'm very self reliant and don't ask anyone for anything, but marveled at the fact that the minute I asked for coffee, there was a hot cup in front of me, just the way I like it. Finally, working with Eldee, the Assistant Director, is a dream. She and I spent a lot of time together on Gypsy, and due to the nature of the scene in Chester, I had an opportunity to spend some quality time with her. After filming wrapped I got the sweetest little card in the mail from her, thanking me for my work. I'll tell you, the crew of Becca's/Eldee's films are really some wonderful people, the kind you stay in touch with for the rest of your life.
Can you tell us about some of your upcoming projects?
Theatre, theatre, theatre. Molly and I are in the process of staging a revival of the play we're currently working on, Craft, for early next year. It's a very urban, very New York comedy that really deserves some attention; I hate to use this word, but Craft is a special play, and we're investing our hearts and souls into making this work. I have a feeling it's going to prove to be a big one for us.
What's been your favorite role so far?
On film? Billy from Gypsy. Wild man, wild time, wild character. On stage? Kevin from Craft. Both are special characters and are immensely fun to work on.
Is there any genres you haven't worked in but would like to?
I've done it all. Soaps, TV, film, theatre. Maybe a little larger venue for each, a bigger role on a show or a film, or a bigger theatre than what I'm accustomed to working in. Almost always, though, as long as I'm working, I really love what I'm doing. I'm pretty lucky to be involved in any of this; it's a tough life.
Which medium do you prefer working; TV, Film or Theatre?
Theatre. I love the immediate gratification that it provides. The audience lets you know whether or not you're doing well immediately; there's no waiting for that payback. Plus, the thrill of walking that tightrope on stage can't be beat.
What are your hobbies when you aren't working?
I love playing basketball, and also love going out on the town dancing. As of late I've been playing a lot of chess lately with the cast of Craft, and also enjoy reading, seeing theatre, and spending time with my friends.
Finally, the first screenings of The Chester Story are due in late 2002. What do you hope audiences gain from viewing this film?
I think the purpose of film is to provide an escape into something else. I remember reading this short story when I was a kid - The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, or something like that; the character of this story used any excuse to escape into a different character, different life than what he was really living, and I think that film, any film, is an opportunity to live through a little escape, from real life, your ups and downs, whatever. I've yet to see any of it, and am really excited to see how it all looks in the end.
