iF Magazine

December 7, 2005

Exclusive Interview: ERIC STOLTZ IS THE ARCHETYPAL SKEPTIC IN THE SCI FI MINI-SERIES THE TRIANGLE

After years of character parts in indie films, the accomplished actor finally jumps head-first into a special effects laden epic

Every Science fiction story has to have the "Scully" character. This character is the one person in the group who is always skeptical and never accepts the supernatural as an explanation for the bizarre events unfolding around them. The skeptic is the person who is always looking for a rational scientific explanation.

In the new Sci Fi Channel mini-series THE TRIANGLE (from producers Dean Devlin and Bryan Singer), Eric Stoltz takes on that archetypal role by playing tabloid journalist Howard Thomas. The mini-series concludes tonight.

In an exclusive interview with iF MAGAZINE, Stoltz talked about playing the "prick" character of a series, working with Bruce Davison as a love interest, and what he brings to the table as an actor.

iF MAGAZINE: How did you come to THE TRIANGLE party?

ERIC STOLTZ: I was sent a script out of the blue, which I read and enjoyed. I then asked who was involved; who was making it. I prefer to read a script without knowing who’s producing or directing or without knowing who the other actors are; that way I know whether or not the story grabs me in anyway. After liking the story I was told it was Dean and Bryan and Craig Baxley, so that pulled me in.

iF MAGAZINE: What’s is it like working with so many visual effects?

STOLTZ: It’s odd working with tape on the windows. I haven’t done that many effects movies, and I have certainly never done one that had 800 special effects. That’s quite a beast! I wouldn’t say it’s hard to work with green screen; it’s ridiculous and silly, and uncomfortable. Eventually you have to just get over yourself and remember what life was like when you were seven or eight years old, and you just pretend. There is a scene where the car I am driving goes off of a bridge. We were sitting in a park in the car and there were special effects all around us and we had to throw our arms up and yell. You can’t help but feel like a complete moron when you do that, but it’s much more fun when you have other morons around you doing the exact same thing. We’d do a take and the director would say, "cut" and then we all would laugh because it’s just so ridiculous.

iF MAGAZINE: When you create a character what is your acting approach?

STOLTZ: It depends on the character and it depends on the piece. I don’t have the same approach to Shakespeare on stage as I would to a sitcom in Hollywood, or a film in South Africa. It depends on the role and the piece and my level of familiarity or knowledge about it all. If it is something I am familiar with, THE TRIANGLE for example, I have friends who are reporters and friends who work for newspapers. I have friends who would rather be writing the "Great American Novel" rather than puff pieces, so it’s not an unfamiliar terrain for me to explore. The amount of work in research is less that it would be if I were playing an astronaut. It takes a different set of muscles that are not necessarily in shape.

iF MAGAZINE: What was the most difficult part of playing your role in THE TRIANGLE?

STOLTZ: It was hard trying to find some humanity in basically the "prick" role of the piece. I’m not sure how it all cuts together, but there wasn’t a lot of heart in the role as written. There was the difficult relationship with the wife and child as well. Trying to make the relationships real and not one-dimensional was my hardest task. Often times, as written, parts are archetypal and they focus on the big effects moments. Luckily in this piece we had six hours to sort of explore the characters and bring out elements that could hopefully humanize them.

iF MAGAZINE: What were some of the most entertaining things to work on in the mini-series?

STOLTZ: I think the submarine sequence, because Charlie Martin Smith is one of the most terrific guys you could ever hope to be stuck in a three foot by twenty-foot submarine with. He’s just so funny. At that point, the four of us [Catherine Bell, Bruce Davison, Michael E. Rodgers] had spent a few months together and were quite frankly getting a little sick of each other, so when you bring in the funny fresh meat, he [Smith] was just a joy to be around.

iF MAGAZINE: You work most closely with Bruce Davison in the project -- how was that?

STOLTZ: My "love interest" was Bruce Davison; which if I had read the script a little more carefully, I might have reconsidered it. [Laughs] It was not at all sexual, which was unfortunate. Michael and Catherine had the great undressing scene. Bruce and I weren’t very erotic. [Laughs] We were the believer verses the skeptic. Bruce and I had worked together before in an independent film called, GRACE OF MY HEART, about ten years ago. So, I’ve known him for a while, and he’s a lovely guy. We spent more time laughing, than anything else. We tried to ground the scenes in some kind of believable situation. We tried to find as much humor as possible otherwise it would be a dour six hours. We tried to find the "Lucy and Desi-ness" of the characters. Being a red head you would assume that I would be Lucy, but instead I was Ricky. [Laughs]

iF MAGAZINE: What projects do you have coming up that you can talk about?

STOLTZ: Surprisingly, I have an independent film called THE LATHER EFFECT, it’s an ensemble piece made for no money in Los Angeles. I have a few films that I am trying to get started as a director. I’d love to do more directing. It’s where I am turning my focus. I’ve got a few scripts that I am attached to direct, which I haven’t written, but I helped edit. I don’t consider myself much of a writer, more of an editor.

-Sean Elliott