INTERVIEW WITH ACTOR WESLEY EURE

Today I have the immense pleasure of welcoming a very special guest, actor Wesley Eure, to CINEMATIC REVELATIONS for an interview. Wesley has acted in several movies such as JENNIFER, THE TOOLBOX MURDERS, C.H.O.M.P.S. [my review of the movie can be found here] GEOGRAPHY CLUB, THE LAST PAGE OF SUMMER, and SINS OF OUR YOUTH. Wesley has also assisted many charities and organizations over the years with his time, with the Variety Club among these. In this interview Wesley will be discussing his part in C.H.O.M.P.S, acting, cinema versus television, being involved in charity work, his creative pursuits in television, and receiving a Golden Palm Star dedication on the California Walk of Stars.

Welcome to CINEMATIC REVELATIONS Wesley!

Athan: When did you first realize that you wanted to be an actor?

Wesley: I first realized I wanted to be an actor when I was in elementary school in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and I played an oak tree in a school play. And I knew from that moment on, I needed the attention. My dad had left when I was two, and I think I was just craving somebody to notice me. But I come from a family of educators down the deep south, and when I announced, standing on a coffee table at around six or seven that I wanted to be an actor, my family looked at me like I was an alien from another planet.

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Athan: Where did you study acting?

Wesley: I never really did study acting. My first job, in which I went on an open call in New York City when I was 19, was for the American Shakespeare Festival at Stratford, Connecticut. And lo and behold, I got the job, and I didn't realize that it was the number one acting school company in the United States at the time. It was run by the heads of the Julliard School of Music. Michael Kahn was directing that year. I got to understudy Ariel in the Tempest and I said to him, ‘Michael, why did you hire me?’ and he said, ‘Wesley, you came into the audition. You blew your audition at Shakespeare.’ I did two sonnets. And he said, ‘but you made us laugh so hard. We said, you know what? We have to spend this summer with that guy.’

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Athan: Your performance in C.H.O.M.P.S, as Brian Foster, the enterprising, charismatic inventor of the robotic dog, was excellent. What it is that drew you to the part of Brian in C.H.O.M.P.S.?

Wesley: When I was presented with the script for C.H.O.M.P.S., I was so excited. First of all, the cast was unbelievable. And I actually knew Valerie Bertinelli at the time, and I was so excited to be her boyfriend because I had a huge crush on Valerie. Also, it was Hanna Barbera’s first live action movie. And the honor of being a part of that journey was just too hard to pass up, but I had to get permission from Days of our Lives to take off for those few weeks. And fortunately, they let me out of my obligations.

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Athan: C.H.O.M.P.S. had a fine cast with yourself, Valerie Bertinelli, and Conrad Bain in leading roles, and Hermoine Baddeley, Jim Backus, Chuck McCann, and Red Buttons in supporting parts. What was it like working with these performers?

Wesley: Well, like I said before, I mean the cast was amazing. Hermoine Baddeley, you're right, Jim Backus. These were icons, I mean, Red Buttons for goodness sakes, and to watch Red Buttons and Chuck McCann act as the two sort of buffoons was a masterclass in comedy. To me, there's nothing more exciting than being on the set of a movie, especially a movie with a great budget. Every day was just miraculous. 

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Athan: What did you find most exciting about filming C.H.O.M.P.S?

Wesley: And again, I couldn't believe that this little kid from Hattiesburg, Mississippi, was working with these icons in the industry. It truly was an honor. One of my greatest joys is, like I said, was working with Valerie Bertinelli, and I was the lucky fellow who got to give Valerie her first big screen kiss. And yes, I beat Eddie Van Halen.

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Athan: For you, what was the most demanding, but emotionally satisfying segment of making C.H.O.M.P.S?

Wesley: The most demanding part was working with the dogs because we had a dog trainer on the set, and we had two dogs that looked alike. One played the robot dog, and one played the real dog. So when I was doing one love scene or very quiet scene with Valerie, the two dogs were there. One was supposed to be the real pup, and the other was the robot. So that one dog had to stand still. So they're yelling, ‘stay, stay, stay, stay, act.’ And they were screaming and it was a very quiet scene. And so they were screaming ‘stay, stay, stay, act, act, act.’ And then I had to be very quiet and talk to Valerie. It was fun. And Valerie and I laughed a lot after it was over. 

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Athan: Have you kept in contact with any cast members and crew from C.H.O.M.P.S?

Wesley: Unfortunately, most of the cast has passed away, but I did see Valerie Bertinelli a few years ago. She was doing a play in the Palm Springs, California area, and I live in Palm Springs now, and I stopped by and gave her a big hug and a kiss.

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Athan: C.H.O.M.P.S was directed by Don Chaffey, who presided over many other motion pictures such as THE PRINCE AND THE PAUPER, JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS, ONE MILLION YEARS B.C., RIDE A WILD PONY, and THE MAGIC OF LASSIE, to name but a few. What was the experience of being directed by Mr Chaffey in C.H.O.M.P.S?

Wesley: It was an honor to work with Don Chaffey. His credits were amazing. And again, I felt like a fish out of water. Here I was with this enormously talented cast and very, very famous actors. I just kept looking around and going, ‘how the hell did I get here?’

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Athan: You had a long-running role as Mike Horton, member of the core Horton medical family in classic daytime serial Days of our Lives from the mid-1970s, until the early 1980s. In comparing both mediums, what was the main striking difference for you between film, and television?

Wesley: On Days of our Lives, I'd get a script in the evening, memorize it, and come in and block the scene and then film. I was out of the studio by late afternoon, and we did a whole hour show. Of course, working on a film you can count on maybe doing one or two pages a day, so there's a lot of sitting around and doing nothing. It is much easier to do a television show because it's quick, it's fast, you're finished, and you're home. Movies take a long time because there's so much set up with lighting and sound. And of course, being on location, like I've said before, I've had a very blessed life, and I don't take it for granted one moment.

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Athan: Philanthropy is something close to your heart, and you have been involved in many charities and groups over the years such as Project Angel Food, Variety Club, Special Olympics, and March of Dimes, and the LalaPOOLooza HIV/AIDS fundraising charity. What is it that you love most about helping others, and assisting valuable causes in this way?

Wesley: I've been very lucky in my life, and the contacts and the resources and the fun that I've had, so to give back to the community is very important to me. I started producing fundraisers and raising money for lots and lots of charities, especially HIV Aids and Shelter from the Storm for battered women and Breast Cancer. And it was the most profound joy that I think I've ever had to be able to share my life, my contacts, and my ability to raise money with these amazing organizations.

In fact, we raised so much money the first year I did LalaPOOLooza, that a portion of that money helped create an organization called Desert Women for Equality. About five months later, I got a call from the organization saying that they had just saved two women's lives. They had provided free mobile mammograms for these two women who would not have otherwise been able to afford it. And they discovered breast cancer in its early stages, and they were able to remove the cancer and these women were gonna survive. Needless to say, it spurred me on to continue raising money.

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Athan: You were dedicated a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs, California Walk of Stars in 2007. How did it feel to be honored in this manner?

Wesley: I was truly honored when the city presented a star on the Walk of Fame for me in Palm Springs. It was an amazing day, and Kaye Ballard showed up. We had about 300 people sitting on the street, and I arrived in the back of a convertible with two blow-up dinosaurs, and two guys dressed like Sleestack, which were the green lizards from my TV series, Land of the Lost. And the theme song of Land of the Lost was blaring in this convertible down the main street in Palm Springs, which is the song that I sang in the series.

It was, again, an unbelievable day. And I looked around the crowd and my mom was there and my sister was there, but my mom at the party at the end of the star ceremony pulled me aside and said, ‘Wesley, I didn't know people loved you this much.’ I started to laugh.

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Athan: Writing is another passion for you, and you have penned novels for children, and several humor books. In addition to this, you have also contributed as a producer, actor, and screenwriter in television show Totally Hidden Video, and co-created the children’s animated series Dragon Tales. What is it about the creative process that you find so fulfilling?

Wesley: I love telling stories. My first novel, the Red Wings of Christmas, which told the story of a little orphan boy in Dickensian England, washed overboard in the ship, and what happens in his journey one night when he falls into Father Christmas's Toy Sack, was optioned by Disney for an animated feature. I also wrote the screenplay and songs for Disney. Unfortunately, at the moment, it's sitting on the shelf at Disney, but writing shows and creating from the imagination Is one of the hardest things to do, but also one of the most rewarding. As most people know, being a writer is a very lonely occupation, but to watch a show like Dragon Tails, which ran on PBS for nine seasons, was so thrilling. One year I was watching the Macy's Day Thanksgiving parade, I think it was the 75th anniversary. Suddenly flying high above New York was a balloon of one of the characters from Dragon Tails, Cassie, the Pink Dragon.

I didn't know she was gonna be there, and that moment was extraordinary. In fact, a fan just found a snow globe from that Macy's Day parade at a thrift store. In the Snow Globe, one of the balloons is Cassie, and he sent it to me as the present. It's moments like that, that there are really no words to express the magic and gratitude.

In the last few years, I've been doing a lot of the comic cons, the autograph shows around the world with my cohorts from Land of the Lost, Kathy Coleman, who played Holly and Phillip Payley, who played Cha-ka the Monkey Creature. And we meet hundreds and hundreds of people. We sing the theme song, and I actually bring a blow-up yellow raft with light jackets and oars, because in the opening credits of Land of the Lost, we go over a waterfall in a yellow raft. So we put this yellow raft on the floor and fans get in with us and we dress 'em up, and we all scream going over water over the waterfall. It's really extraordinary. We love doing these comic cons around the world. In fact, I would love to come to Australia and do a Supernova. That would be a dream for me.

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Athan: Do you have any upcoming projects of which you would like to tell readers?

Wesley: Recently, I had a documentary called ParaSense: The Naked Experiments air on Netflix in a whole bunch of different streaming services. It's a documentary that combines a ghost hunter, and a scientist creating new technologies to see if you can prove touch. It's been winning a lot of awards, in fact, it just got accepted in Lisbon at their major film festival.

So, we're hopefully all going to Lisbon to watch it. But the journey continues and each day I wake up, and wonder what can we create today that would bring joy? I know I sound kind of Pollyannish, but I truly live in gratitude. I also live in Mexico half the year, six months out of the year, in Puerto Vallarta, and fly back and forth, and do conventions, work, and shows. And then the other six months I'm here in Palm Springs.

Athan, thank you so much for having me as a guest, and thank you so very much for your kind words in your review of C.H.O.M.P.S. I really appreciate it, and it means the world to me. Thank you.

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You’re very welcome Wesley. Thank you so much today for your time today, and for the insight you have shone onto the art of acting, C.H.O.M.P.S, cinema, television, writing, creating, and charities. It has been wonderful having you on CINEMATIC REVELATIONS. You are welcome to return whenever you wish.

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Wesley Eure links

+Wesley Eure official homepage

+Wesley Eure IMDb Actor Page

+C.H.O.M.P.S. movie IMDb page

INTERVIEW WITH ACTOR GUERIN BARRY

Today I have the immense pleasure of welcoming a very special guest, actor Guerin Barry, to CINEMATIC REVELATIONS for an interview. Guerin has appeared in films such as RACQUET, A DIFFERENT STORY [my review of the film can be found here] A MILLION TO JUAN, A MATTER OF TIME, and STAR 80, and lending his voice talents to THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, BUCK ROGERS IN THE 25TH CENTURY, and THE HEROIC TRIO. In this interview Guerin will be discussing his role in A DIFFERENT STORY, acting, television, rock music, whistling, and voice over work.

Welcome to CINEMATIC REVELATIONS Guerin!

Athan: When did you first realize that you wanted to be an actor?

Guerin: Thanks for having me, Athan. I was always interested in performing, musically at an early age. Growing up in New York, I was exposed to lots of different entertainment. As a teen, I discovered a wonderful place in Times Square, Hubert’s Museum and Flea Circus. It impressed me that these sideshow folks, freaks, found gainful employment in using what they had to entertain the public and earn a living. I think I have always considered myself a bit of a Carney. After studying Architecture in college for a few uninspiring years, I enrolled in an acting school in Boston and realized that this was something I could enjoy.

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Athan: Where did you study acting?

Guerin: The school was Leland Powers School of Radio, Television and Theater. We studied acting, fencing, diction and radio broadcasting. I had a few detours after that and found myself back in New York, producing commercials for an ad agency. At night, I studied acting with a well-known director/teacher, Milton Katselas, director, Burt Brinckerhoff and actor/teacher, Darryl Hickman. I acted in off-off Broadway plays and small films preparing myself for the move to Los Angeles.

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Athan: Your performance as Ned in A DIFFERENT STORY, as the owner-manager of the fashion house where Albert Walreavens works as a fashion designer, was utterly authentic. What it is that drew you to the part of Ned in A DIFFERENT STORY?

Guerin: I met director Paul Aaron quite by accident through family friends as he was preparing to shoot A Different Story and he offered me the part of Ned Roth. This was to be my first film in LA and I was very excited to work.

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Athan: As Ned Roth in the fashion house, you seemed fully at home in this milieu, as if the viewer was watching real events in the life of a design company taking place, and the actions of its owner. Did you undertake research, or hands-on experience in a fashion design company for the movie?

Guerin: We have to back up a bit here. In the late ‘70s, writers were populating more scripts with gay characters. This film was one of the groundbreakers in that regard.  Many gay actors were not anxious to play gay characters, lest they “out” themselves and not be able to get other work. Many straight actors played “gay” in an offensive, stereotypical way. I had lived with a fashion model in New York and our social circle included many photographers, stylists, hairdressers and other gay friends.  Observing them, as actors do, I realized that gay men came in all shapes and sizes, temperaments and expressions. I knew that, given the costume, the situation and the script, that I could embody Ned without falling into the trap of offending anyone. I had no fashion experience but, shooting in the sewing room of a fashion house as we did, I had access to the sewing machine operator who worked with us in the scene, I believe his name was Armando. I asked him some questions about the technical aspects of the work and I used that information to inform my character.

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Athan: A DIFFERENT STORY had an excellent cast with yourself, Perry King, Meg Foster, and Doug Higgins, Peter Donat, and Valerie Curtin in supporting roles. What was it like working with these performers?

Guerin:  My scenes were with Perry King, who was very easy to work with. He was focused and trying to do his best, as were we all. I do remember walking into the dressing room trailer and seeing Meg Foster’s reflection in the mirror. I was amazed and said, “WOW, I’ve never seen eyes as beautifully blue as yours!” She looked up and told me that they were contact lenses, that her natural eye color was so pale blue that it didn’t photograph well.

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Athan: What did you find most exciting about making A DIFFERENT STORY?

Guerin: There is no experience as exciting as acting in your first feature film. My parents attended the premier in New York. After seeing the film, my mother actually questioned my brother to see if, perhaps, I was gay. When you can fool your own mother…now that’s exciting!

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Athan: For you, what was the most demanding, but emotionally satisfying segment of filming A DIFFERENT STORY?

Guerin: As a young actor, I was too naïve to recognize any demands, I was just having fun. There was a scene where I tell Perry’s character that an important designer is waiting for him in the other room. I ad-libbed the name, Lorenzo, my father’s name.  That was very emotionally satisfying.

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Athan: Have you kept in contact with any cast members and crew from A DIFFERENT STORY?

Guerin: I have only seen Paul Aaron. One day, decades later, having lunch at the Magic Castle in LA, he was at an adjacent table and I went over to say hello.

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Athan: A DIFFERENT STORY was directed by Paul Aaron, who also directed the motion pictures A FORCE OF ONE, DEADLY FORCE, MAXIE, and MORGAN STEWART’S COMING HOME. What was the experience of being directed by Mr Aaron in A DIFFERENT STORY?

Guerin: Paul was well-prepared, relaxed and confident to let the actors act. It was a really gentle first experience in a feature film.

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Athan: You have acted in countless television series, both daytime and nighttime. In comparing both mediums, for you, what are the main differences between film, and television?

Guerin: Television production goes much faster than film. There’s more rehearsal in film. I’ve done more TV and enjoy the pace. I have enjoyed doing theater as well, but lose interest after the first few performances.

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Athan: As a voice artist you have been featured in not only films but also many television series, as a narrator of eBooks, and television commercials. What is it that you most love about being a voice actor in these mediums?

Guerin: Voice acting is the ultimate acting for me. As an audiobook narrator, I voice all the characters in their own different voices.  My voice is responsible for everything, the set, the costumes, the characters. Voice acting also requires no memorization, no makeup and no costumes. I like that. I once voiced the role of a killer in a daytime soap and got religious tracts from fans who believed that I really was a killer and who wanted to help me “find the way”.  In Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, I created the voice of the Computer Council, Dr. Theopolous. Conversations with Buck very much put me in the scenes. I also voiced the Alex 7000 computer in the two-part Bionic Woman, Doomsday Is Tomorrow. My voice was given Guest Star credit in that one.  In animation and video games, the characters tend to be very expressive and over the top, which is also fun.

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Athan: You are a professional whistler, your talent displayed in many television shows, commercials, and on stage in musical performances. When did you first start whistling, and what is it about it that relaxes you?

Guerin: I’ve been a whistler all my life. It was so interesting when composers found me. I’ve whistled in the scores of several documentaries, pop records, commercials, feature films and TV. I once got wind (no pun intended) that they were looking for an actor who whistled for an episode of LA LAW. I had been cast by the casting director, Simon Ayer, in other projects so I called him and asked if it was so. He then said, “Why, can you whistle?”  I responded, “Is the Titanic moist?” I worked that episode, titled, Whistle Stop.  Seriously, I think whistling has kept me healthy, too. I had smoked, heavily for decades during which doctors always complimented my lung capacity and strength. I suspect it was whistling, the deep inhalation of breath and the slow, measured exhalation that kept me healthy. We need food, water, sleep and oxygen for healthy life. I get more oxygen than most. However, I do whistle all day, which can be annoying to others. During my time as a member of the rock and roll group, Sha Na Na, they made rules…No whistling in the airport, the limo, the hotel front desk or backstage. The rule was exempted when we performed Rockin’ Robin or The Stroll, both of which have whistling passages in the song.

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Athan: As a member of rock and roll group Sha Na Na, you were a bass singer in the band for several years. From your perspective, what was the best part of being a member of the group?

Guerin: The wife of a friend saw the notice in Variety…Wanted, bass-player, bass-singer for Internationally-touring, ‘50s rock band.  That sounded to me like Sha Na Na, a band that I liked because they played the music of my own teen years.  I do play the bass and my voice had matured to a deep bass but…I was 42 years old.  I knew that nobody was going to hire my old ass to rock around the world but I wanted to play with the band just once.  It was a blast. I enjoyed meeting the guys and “getting down” with them for a few tunes.  Imagine my surprise when, days later, band member, Chico called and said, “Your number’s up, bub.” I reminded him that I was the old dude and asked if he had the right number. It seems that the other auditioners who were better singers, better dancers and better bass players than me were in their ‘20s. The members of the band, who had been on tour for 14 years, were in their late ‘30s and I was a fresh-looking 42. If they had hired a young player, they would have looked older so…they hired me because I looked more age appropriate. They gave me the name, Tito. Occupying another life was so much fun, revisiting my teen years at that age, touring the world, seeing Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong and every State Fair and casino in the States. Not everyone gets a chance to drop into another life at that age.  After four, long years in the air and on the road, 250 days a year, I missed acting and “real life”, so I gave notice and became Guerin again.

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Athan: Do you have any upcoming projects of which you would like to tell readers?

Guerin: I am, at 81, in glorious, semi-retirement, although still active in voice acting.  I am working on a new project. As I Face Time with my three, great granddaughters, I play the uke and sing children’s songs to them. One of their mothers, my granddaughter, Sasha, suggested that I create a YouTube channel of children’s songs so that they might access them at any time, so I’m in the process of creating the YouTube channel, MISTER JIYAN, (the name that the babies call me). Look for me on YouTube.  If you’ve got small children, feel free to sing along with me. All of my audiobooks are also available at audible.com.

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Thank you so much today for your time Guerin, and for the insight you have provided into the art of acting, A DIFFERENT STORY, cinema, television, voice over work, whistling, and being part of a rock and rock band. It has been wonderful having you on CINEMATIC REVELATIONS. You are welcome to return whenever you wish.

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Guerin Barry links

+Guerin Barry IMDb Actor Page

+A DIFFERENT STORY movie IMDb page

INTERVIEW WITH ACTOR JOSS MCWILLIAM

Today I have the immense pleasure of welcoming a very special guest, actor Joss McWilliam, to CINEMATIC REVELATIONS for an interview. Joss has acted in several motion pictures over the years such as THE EMPTY BEACH, THE COOLANGATTA GOLD [my review of the film can be found here] THE SUICIDE THEORY, and MAGDALA ROSE. In this interview Joss will be discussing his part in THE COOLANGATTA GOLD, acting, television, and role as an acting coach.

Welcome to CINEMATIC REVELATIONS Joss!

Athan: When did you first realize that you wanted to be an actor?

Joss: Thanks Athan. I did a bit of acting at school in a number of plays and quite liked it. Then bits and pieces at university. I tried out for NIDA in 1979 and could have got in, but for an all-night drinking session the night before my final audition. I was pretty young and wild and frankly not committed to the idea yet. I travelled overseas and saw some amazing theatre in Stratford and London. During a performance of Duet for One, starring Frances De La Tour, I was so enraged with the actor playing opposite her that I began to stand, to argue with him. Quickly sitting, I couldn’t believe that I had fallen for an imaginary situation. Mind you, it was great acting. That night, I decided that that was what I wanted to do.

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Athan: Where did you study acting?

Joss: On my return to Australia in 1981, I tried out for NIDA and didn’t last the morning. I then spent two weeks at the Ensemble but did not like it at all, so I dropped out and ended up studying privately with an actor called Brian Syron. This was two nights a week in Woollahra. He had studied with Stella Adler so it was in that tradition. When I started working, I feel like I threw a lot of what he taught me away, but at least he taught me to think like an actor. I feel like most of what I have learned has been on the job and I have had the good fortune to work with and learn from some extraordinary actors and directors.

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Athan: Your performance as Steve in THE COOLANGATTA GOLD was the linchpin for all the action in the movie, a young man of many shades, and moods, who was psychologically complex, and thoroughly compelling. What it is that drew you to the part of Steve?

Joss: In my second year with Bryan, I was spotted by Rae Davidson, a casting director at Forcast and asked to audition for The Coolangatta Gold. It was simply a chance to start climbing the greasy pole, an opportunity to start working. After I landed the job, I suppose I found parallels between the character and myself and drew on them for the role. I have always joked that I started at the top and have been working my way down ever since.

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Athan: THE COOLANGATTA GOLD had a prolific cast with yourself, Nick Tate, Robyn Nevin, and Colin Friels as the movie’s central focus, the Lucas family. What was it like working with these performers?

Joss: I had a wonderful time working with Colin and I had the sense he was looking after me. Instinctively, I was drawn to his personality and way of working. There are things that we joked about on that set that still amuse me now. He once gave me Hamlet’s speech to the players at the back of a Grips truck. The perfect acting lesson. I still think of him as my acting brother. Nick was fine, but from a different acting school than the one I was interested in and Robyn, for whatever reason, didn’t speak to me once for the two weeks we were on set. Go figure.

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Athan: THE COOLANGATTA GOLD was about an iron man endurance marathon, with many scenes of training, and the eponymous marathon race itself depicted in the movie. In preparation for the film, did you undertake a training regime, and what was your experience of this?

Joss: When I got the role, I wasn’t that fit, so I spent the next 3-6 months preparing. The week consisted of running many kilometres every second morning alternating with weight sessions on alternate days with the Manly Sea Eagles conditioner. I would swim 50 laps every second day and learn to surf ski on the alternate days. Then every evening I would learn Karate with Paul Starling for two hours. Exhausting. It was difficult at first, but I learned the transformative power of hard exercise and I became incredibly fit.

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Athan: In THE COOLANGATTA GOLD, Steve also attends karate classes, under the instructor of real-life karate master Paul Starling, who played his close friend and confidant. Did you also train in martial arts specifically for the movie, or was this something of which you had prior experience?

Joss: I trained with Paul in Sydney, specifically for the movie. I had no prior experience and since the film have never used those skills again.

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Athan: THE COOLANGATTA GOLD was directed by Igor Auzins, who also helmed the motion pictures HIGH ROLLING IN A RED CORVETTE, and WE OF THE NEVER NEVER. What was it like being directed by Mr Auzins in THE COOLANGATTA GOLD?

Joss: The Coolangatta Gold was my first job and I honestly expected to get more direction than what I got. I have since discovered that most directors just expect you to know what you’re doing. The best directors are collaborative and will work with you to improve performance.

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Athan: Aside from your film work you have appeared in many Australian television shows over the years, from series such as Winners, The Flying Doctors, The Adventures of Skippy, and more recently in The Strip, and Home and Away. From your perspective, what are some of the most striking differences between film, and television production?

Joss: Both film and television at their best re all about storytelling. The most striking difference is the time given to tell the story. You have more time on a film set and there is more care taken on the shot and the content. Quality television is like film these days anyway.

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Athan: You have been an acting coach for over a decade at Angel Studios, which is a professional recording studio in Brisbane, Queensland. What it is that led you to this, and what provides the most satisfaction in seeing students thrive in their aspirations?

Joss: I have been teaching off and on for twenty years. Because acting is a precarious profession financially, I’m sure I took it up to make extra money. There is something satisfying in seeing students grasp the idea that you are trying to get across. I enjoy watching their confidence grow and it is extremely satisfying to see some, as I did, go on to have professional careers. As I was taught, so have I gone on to teach.

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Athan: Do you have any upcoming projects of which you would like to tell readers?

Joss: I did a fantastic show last year called Boy Swallows Universe. There is a chance that it may tour next year nationally. Other than that, I have nothing coming up. This may change overnight, but if it doesn’t and I never worked again, I have no regrets. It is 40 years since I auditioned for The Coolangatta Gold and I have worked on many great projects since then with some wonderful people and have travelled all over Australia.

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Thank you so much for your time today Joss, and for the insight you have provided into the art of acting, THE COOLANGATTA GOLD, cinema, television, and acting coaching. It has been wonderful having you on CINEMATIC REVELATIONS. You are welcome to return whenever you wish.

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Joss McWilliam links

+Joss McWilliam IMDb Actor Page

+THE COOLANGATTA GOLD movie IMDb page

INTERVIEW WITH ACTOR MARK JENKINS

Today I have the immense pleasure of welcoming a very special guest, actor Mark Jenkins, to CINEMATIC REVELATIONS for an interview. Mark has acted in several motion pictures over the years such as DOCTORS’ WIVES, THE FILTHY FIVE, RIVERRUN [my review of the film can be found here] THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN, and DESERT BLOOM, to name a few examples. In this interview Mark will be discussing his role in RIVERRUN, acting, theatre, and position, now retired, as Professor Emeritus, Acting, in the University of Washington’s School of Drama.

Welcome to CINEMATIC REVELATIONS Mark!

Athan: When did you first realize that you wanted to be an actor?

Mark: It was my private, secret ambition from about the age of fourteen. While in college I discovered I could do this.

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Athan: Where did you study acting?

Mark: First at the University of Wyoming near where I grew up. Then in New York, with Herbert Berghof, and eventually at The Actors Studio.

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Athan: Your performance as Dan in RIVERRUN was a distinctive portrayal of a thoughtful young man trying to find his way in life away from the hustle and bustle of modern life, seeking a more meaningful existence. What it is that drew you to the part of Dan?

Mark: Auditioning and being offered the role - my first film role. I would have been happy to work in any movie. I had done only theatre work before riverrun, mostly Shakespeare. But,  I happened to identify with Dan for two reasons. I had left city life in Denver, Colorado to work on a ranch during my high school years which transformed me. Second, I was resisting being drafted for the war in Viet Nam and anticipated I would go to prison. Luckily I didn’t. I responded to Dan’s idealism and determination to do what he felt was right.

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Athan: RIVERRUN had a strong cast with yourself, John McLiam, and Louise Ober as the central trio of protagonists. What was it like working with these performers?

Mark Jenkins, Louise Ober, and John McLiam in RIVERRUN

Mark: It was easy to work with those good people. We had an easy rapport. John was very experienced and gave me a lot to push back against. Louise Ober was not even an actress but was easy going, natural and had a quietly expressive depth. 

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Athan: What did you find most exciting about the experience of making RIVERRUN?

Mark: Probably the fact that we were living and working far away from Hollywood and the show-business world, on an out of the way part of the Pacific coast. John Korty had leased a real farm where we shot most of the film. There were no distractions from us making a world for the film.

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Athan: RIVERRUN had a large amount of location filming, which gave the movie an authenticity. The waterways, the farm, the streets of the town, for example, all oozed realism, adding to the verisimilitude for which the film aimed in its presentation. For you, what was the most demanding, but emotionally satisfying segment of filming RIVERRUN?

Mark: Trying to tell my story with simplicity and authenticity. And adjusting to working for the camera which is massively different than working for in a play before an audience.

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Athan: Have you kept in contact with any cast members and crew from RIVERRUN?

Mark: John McLiam, became a good friend and introduced me to his agent who ‘”signed” me and to a whole community of good, experienced actors and directors. We even did a play together about ten years later - Eugene O’Neil’s Desire Under the Elms, in Los Angeles. Louise Ober never acted again, that I know of. She was an extremely curious soul, audacious and adventurous. Unfortunately, she died, far too young, of cancer.  

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Athan: RIVERRUN was directed by John Korty, who directed other diverse motion pictures as FUNNYMAN, THE CRAZY-QUILT, OLIVER’S STORY, and ALEX & THE GYPSY. What was it like being directed by Mr Korty in RIVERRUN?

Mark: He created a situation where; on one hand he considered us all as collaborators and welcomed our input and points of view. Only later did I realize that he kept his primary vision of the film to himself. (I would say, his attempt to merge nature with the human spirit by means of visual details.) To him, in this film “nature” was more than background.

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Athan: You were Professor Emeritus, Acting, in the University of Washington’s School of Drama for many years, and have taught many drama courses to students over the years. What did you find the most satisfying aspects of working with students in the School of Acting?

Mark: That is too big a question for this interview. Let me just say that being able to help actors peel away preconceptions, vanity, and ego-needs so that actual creativity can take place in real time, is profoundly satisfying. Also, I have able to introduce many actors to the subtle but thrilling genius of and craft of Anton Chekov’s plays which can be transforming to one’s sense of what art and theatre can be. I’ve also been able to teach, act and investigate acting as it’s practiced in Russia, Japan, Asia as well as locally.

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Athan: You are also a life member of The Actors’ Studio, which is renowned for the caliber not only of its alumni but also, its acting coaching. What it is that you most admire about the Actors Studio?

Mark: The Studio’s utter devotion to the actor’s individual process in order to unlock and reveal the inner life of a character “profoundly and intensively.”  

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Athan: Do you have any upcoming projects of which you would like to tell readers?

Mark: I spent much of the last thirty years trying to write plays. One, All Powers Necessary and Convenient was produced twice in Seattle and published by the University of Washington Press.  It deals in some detail with how the anti-communist “red scare” played out in Washington state in the late 1940’s. Since I retired, I’ve been trying to create a coherent and interesting look-back at my life’s journey.

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Thank you so much for your time today Mark, and for the insight you have provided into the art of acting, RIVERRUN, cinema, and academia. It has been wonderful having you on CINEMATIC REVELATIONS. You are welcome to return whenever you wish.

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Mark Jenkins links

+Mark Jenkins IMDb Actor Page

+RIVERRUN movie IMDb page

INTERVIEW WITH ACTOR MALCOLM DANARE

Today I have the immense pleasure of welcoming a very special guest, actor Malcolm Danare, to CINEMATIC REVELATIONS for an interview. Malcolm has acted in many motion pictures over the years such as FLASHDANCE, CHRISTINE, THE LORDS OF DISCIPLINE [my review of the film can be found here] NATIONAL LAMPOON’S EUROPEAN VACATION, INDEPENDENCE DAY, GODZILLA, and AMERICAN JUSTICE, to name a few examples. He has also been involved in filmmaking in the capacity of producer, with a film in post-production at the moment. In this interview Malcolm will be discussing his role in THE LORDS OF DISCIPLINE, acting, his producing work, and voice acting.

Welcome to CINEMATIC REVELATIONS Malcolm!

Athan: When did you first realize that you wanted to be an actor?

Malcolm: I had always been somewhat of a ‘ham-bone’ in high school. I liked to make people laugh. The first time I acted in front of an audience was in a talent show at school. The fellow I acted with was named Richard. We did a scene from Monty Python. It was the ‘dead parrot skit’. We came in first place! That was the first time I realized what a thrill it was to memorize lines and actually act them out. I knew at that point, I ‘might’ have what it takes to pursue this thing they call “ACTING!

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Athan: Where did you study acting?

Malcolm: There was a brief moment that I studied at, The Lee Strasberg Institute. Then realized that most of the students that were there, were a whole lot more driven and dedicated than me, so I quit. When I graduated high school, I wanted to get a job, so I started working at a small clothing store called Miller’s Outpost. About four months of working there, I received a phone call from my father. He said that he had met a gentleman who had broken down in his rent-a-car. My father at the time owned a taxi cab company. So, as he was driving one of his cabs back to the garage, he noticed a man on the side of the road (SUNSET BOULEVARD) flagging him down. My father drove over and helped the man. The man said, “Can you please take me to Paramount Studios, I’m already 30 minutes late”. As the two started chatting in the cab, my father asked the man, “what did he do for a living?” The man said, I’m a director and I’m here in Los Angeles for a few days, casting a movie. My father instantaneously said, “My son’s an actor”! My father was referring the talent show I had done in high school and the two months of studying I did at the Strasberg Institute. The gentleman asked to see a picture of me, my father showed him and the gentleman said, “I would like to meet your son”. The gentleman who broke down in in car was, FRANC RODDAM, director of The Lords of Discipline.

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Athan: Your performance as Poteete in THE LORDS OF DISCIPLINE was one of its finest assets, a stunning portrayal of a young military student under tremendous strain in extraordinary circumstances. What it is that drew you to the part of Poteete?

Malcolm: What drew me to the role of Poteete, is the belief that Franc Roddam had in me playing that amazing role. I had never acted in front of a camera before, I thought that it would be terrifying, little did I know, it would be the single most exciting thing I would ever do. Even to this day, I love hearing the word “ACTION”!

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Athan: THE LORDS OF DISCIPLINE had a strong cast including David Keith, Ric Rossovich, Mitchell Lichtenstein, Michael Biehn, and Robert Prosky. What was it like working with these performers?

Malcolm: I remember during the audition period of LOD, all the different actors coming in to audition for particular roles. As far as I know, I might have been the first actor cast. Because I had no agent or manager, I constantly had to keep in touch with the casting director. Who is the great Ellen Chenowith. As the weeks went by, I had to audition with several different actors auditioning for the role of Will McLean. Michael Biehn was first choice of Franc’s from the second I was brought on. So, after the fame and popularity of ‘Officer and a Gentleman’, David Keith was set on to play the lead role. I loved working with David Keith and Michael Biehn. Both wonderful actors.

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Athan: What did you find most exciting about the experience of making THE LORDS OF DISCIPLINE?

Malcolm: I loved working in the United Kingdom. It was a three-month shoot. One of the things I loved the most about working in London England was that 80 percent of my family lived there. So, after a hard day of shooting, I would go to a relative’s house, instead of the hotel. I also met my first girlfriend at the time, Shelley.

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Athan: You had many intense scenes in THE LORDS OF DISCIPLINE which were riveting to witness. For you, what was the most demanding, but emotionally satisfying segment of filming THE LORDS OF DISCIPLINE?

Malcolm: The two scenes I remember like they were shot yesterday are… When, PIG, Rick Rossovich beats the living hell out of me and WILL, David Keith tells me that, “I have to be a man, if I want to stay in the institute”. FYI? That was the first time I had ever acted in front of a camera, doing that particular scene. The second scene I remember well is, being on the ledge of a three-story building. There was a lot of dialogue that needed to be said and a whole lot of concentrating not to fall off. Ps… there was scaffolding below, we were always safe.

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Athan: Have you kept in contact with any cast members and crew from THE LORDS OF DISCIPLINE?

Malcolm: I have always stayed in touch with the wonderful, FRANC RODDAM. He will always be my mentor and hero. He gave me my break and I’ll never forget that! Whenever I am in the UK we get together, he took me out for my 55th birthday a few years back. I speak with Michael Biehn every so often and even Judge Reinhold.

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Athan: THE LORDS OF DISCIPLINE was directed by Franc Roddam in his second directorial effort, also helming QUADROPHENIA, ARIA, THE BRIDE, WAR PARTY, and K2. What was it like being directed by Mr Roddam in THE LORDS OF DISCIPLINE?

Malcolm: Franc is a sensational director. He knows how to work with an actor, to get out of them exactly what he needs for the scene and the film itself. There are many directors I have worked with the love camera angles, weird lighting. Franc Roddam knows what he wants and Franc knows how to get it!!

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Athan: You have acted in the capacity of producer on several movies over the years such as THE TAKER, AMELIA 2.0, and currently on CHASTISE. Which film so far has given you the most satisfaction in terms of being producer?

Malcolm: I really do love all of them. There is a certain satisfaction of producing a film and then seeing it on the screen. There is an overwhelming sense of accomplishment.

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Athan: One of the reasons Poteete is so vivid to watch in THE LORDS OF DISCIPLINE is in part due to the use of his voice, which alternately expresses a gamut of emotions such as fear, sadness, and apprehension. You have been a voice actor on many television productions such as Ever After High. What is it that you most love about being a voice actor?

Malcolm: I absolutely love voice over work. It’s interesting, I’m always playing young people. I guess that’s because I have a high voice. Even at the age of 59, when I’m on the phone with someone I don’t know, like a phone company rep, or a representative from my bank, they will still say, “one moment Mrs”.

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Athan: Do you have any upcoming projects of which you would like to tell readers?

Malcolm: I have two television projects that I have written and will be producing. I also have two features that we are shopping.

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Thank you so much today for your time Malcolm, and for the insight you have provided into the art of acting, THE LORDS OF DISCIPLINE, cinema, production, and being a voice actor. It has been wonderful having you on CINEMATIC REVELATIONS. You are welcome to return whenever you wish.

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Malcolm Danare links

*Malcolm Danare IMDb Actor Page

*THE LORDS OF DISCIPLINE movie IMDb page

*Malcolm Danare Instagram page

*Malcolm Danare twitter page